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PHOTO GALLERY (3)

March 1998 Homegrown How-Tos

Hosed
Ever lost a small part, nut, or bolt in the engine compartment or even in the grass? Put an old pair of pantyhose over the end of your shop vac. Using different vacuum attachments will allow you to get into tight spots as well as to cover more area to find the lost item.Thomas Hayden
Beaver Dam, KY

Block Party
My buddy gave me three aluminum blocks he had left over from a lift installation. I didn't know what to do with them until I remembered that my parking brake cable was being stretched by the bracket it ran through. I didn't want the cable to pull out of the backing plate, so I lowered the bracket by using the aluminum blocks and an extra bolt I had. I've since drilled a new hole in the bracket to center it on the blocks.
Derek Thorsrud
Killeen, TX

A Gripping Tale
Slippery rear bumpers and nerf bars can be a real problem, but a cheap fix is to apply grip tape from a skateboard shop. The tape is very sticky on one side and has a sandpaper-like texture on the other. It comes in a variety of colors, so you'll be able to match your truck's paint. It costs about $3 for a square foot, and you simply cut it to size.Eddie Tafoya
Yarnell, AZ